One of the goals of KidCity is to provide a safe, secure, loving environment for children. In an effort to accomplish this we have several security measures in place to protect our children, their parents and the church.

KidCity Ministry Safety and Security measures exist:

To Protect our Children
Our intent is to provide an environment for children to learn, serve and grow securely.  We seek to provide an environment that is safe physically, spiritually and emotionally.

To Protect our Adults and Leaders
Through the comprehensive screening process and a desire to follow procedures, we are actively reducing the possibility of a false accusation. We are also in a better position not to place a volunteer in a situation where they may be consciously, or subconsciously, tempted to sin.

To Protect our Ministries
By protecting children, and adults, we are in a better position to support the ministry that is taking place throughout the church. Once regular volunteers have completed the screening process they are free to focus on their ministry work.

To Protect our Church
God calls us to be good stewards of the resources that He has given us, both our finances and our people. Should we ever have an incident that we could have prevented, some of our resources could be jeopardized. We believe that God is asking us, instead, to use our resources to expand our current ministries and to create new ministries so that we can reach even more lost people and bring them to know Jesus Christ.

Security Name Tags for Families and Volunteers

We require security tags for all children from birth through 5th grade and the parent(s) that bring them to KidCity. When a family arrives for KidCity, the host/registration team greets them. Data is collected to insure contact information for a guest family and labels are produced for each child and parent. The individuals with labels are allowed to enter the secured doors and hallways. Once a family decides they will attend a specific service regularly they can sign up online to have their child be assigned to a regular small group.   After the worship service the parent with a label picks up the child from their classroom. The volunteer checks the names and 3 digit alphanumeric code and the child is sent off in the parent’s care.  We do not allow siblings or other individuals to pick up a child without a security label.

It is imperative that you only return the child to the parent with the security label. There may be custody situations between parents that we are unaware of. Therefore even though you may know the parent, do not return the child to anyone other than the person with the child’s matching label.  If a parent has lost their label or appears to be upset regarding the enforcement of this policy please refer them to the KidCity Director or staff person to verify the identity. Under no circumstances return a child to anyone other than their parent with the matching label.  

Parent Notification

Each family is given a unique and randomly assigned alphanumeric code that is located on the labels of each family member. Parents should be notified if a child becomes ill, cries excessively or sustains an injury requiring the parent’s attention. Parents do not need to be paged for minor “ouches.”  Should a parent need to be notified, please follow the following procedures per campus:

Raleigh Campus: please call x. 123 and give the location and 3 digit code to the registration counter outside of the nursery area.

Morrisville Campus: please call x. 333 and give the location and 3 digit code to the Next Steps counter.

Holly Springs Campus: please use classroom walkie talkie and give the location and 3 digit code to contact the KidCity Registration desk.

The room location and code will be displayed on the LED screen below the video screens, or on the video screen during the service and the parent will meet the volunteer in the room. If there is an injury, please fill out an Incident Report (see page 8).

Bathroom Procedures

For the safety of the child as well as your own protection, it is required to leave the door open for preschoolers in order to help them. Do not enter the bathroom with the door closed.

Volunteer Identification

Volunteers should go to the registration counter of the area that they are serving and request their name badge. The name badges are filed alphabetically and will be retrieved by a registration team member and given to the volunteer. If there is no badge for the volunteer and they are authorized for KidCity in the database, a temporary badge will be given out. If a classroom observer tag is needed, a staff member will have it with them and will need to be called in order to meet the observer. After serving, each volunteer should return his or her badge to the file box.

Adult Identification 

All adults in the classroom are required to wear KidCity nametags as a means of identifying them as volunteer authorized to be in the classroom. If someone comes to your classroom and says they are a parent or are from another church and “just want to look around” please direct them to the KidCity Director, staff member, or service coordinator. If a KidCity leader is available we will escort them around. Please do not allow unauthorized individuals into your classroom. If a parent would like to observe during a service, please issue them a classroom observer tag from the registration counter. Do not allow them to be alone with children.

General Security

During services children are not allowed to wander around the campus. If you see a child who is “ditching” class please approach him/her or contact a volunteer or KidCity staff member.  We will take the child to their appropriate class or to the Worship Center so they may sit with their parent.

If you see an adult just wandering around the children’s area please approach him/her or notify a coordinator or staff member. We depend upon you to assist us in making KidCity a safe and secure environment for all our children.  Thank you for your assistance.

MEDICAL PROCEDURES

Typically an injury can be treated with a little loving attention, a cool cloth or a Band-Aid. A first aid kit is available in each KidCity room. Please treat the child and complete an “Incident Report.”  Copies of Incident Reports are located in each classroom. Please make a copy of the Incident Report in the resource room or registration area. Leave a copy in the room and give the parents the original. Please talk with the parent on their arrival letting them know what happened and how the injury was treated.  Keep in mind that we are not authorized to dispense any over-the-counter or prescription medications. In the event a child needs more attention than we can provide the parent should be notified immediately.

Serious Injuries involving broken bones, head injury, bleeding, convulsions, fainting, unconsciousness or other serious bodily injury should be treated as follows.

  1. Keep calm and keep children and the injured person as calm as possible. Speak calmly to assure the child.
  2. Do not move the injured child and do not leave him/her.
  3. Follow instructions on the emergency sheet located in each room to contact Hope’s medical team and dial 911.
  4. The coordinator or staff member will contact the parents and advise them of the child’s situation and procedure being followed.
  5. If the child is to be transported to a hospital and the parents cannot be located in time, the staff member will accompany the child to the hospital.
  6. The staff member will follow up with the parents as needed.
  7. All volunteers and staff members involved in the emergency should write out a report of what happened immediately following the emergency.

EMERGENCIES

Classroom Evacuations

  1. If an alarm sounds or if you are instructed to evacuate the building through a broadcast message on the room telephone/walkie talkie you must evacuate. Unless you are in danger, please wait for this broadcast message.
  2. Please evacuate all children in classrooms using the emergency map located in your classroom.
  3. Acquaint yourself with the evacuation route for adjoining classrooms should your primary exit be blocked and you need to evacuate through another route.
  4. Before evacuating, count the number of children in your class and check the bathrooms.  Please take the attendance sheet, located outside the entry door of your classroom with you.
  5. Take the red emergency bag that includes a first aid kit, walkie-talkie, sign to designate age, lantern/flashlight, pen and emergency instructions.
  6. Evacuate to the area designated on your evacuation route chart. Upon arrival take a head count to insure all your children are with you.
  7. Await further instructions from a member of the staff.
  8. First aid will be brought to you as needed. Do not leave your group to obtain first aid.
  9. Remain calm, which will help keep the children calm. Keep them informed as you have information to share with them.
  10. Release children only to their parents with an identifying label and only after you have been given the okay to dismiss by a member of the staff. Do not dismiss any children, including elementary age, to go on their own.
  11. Check off each child from the attendance sheet as they are dismissed to their parent.

Earthquakes

1. Direct students to “drop and cover” (climb under tables, etc.) until earthquake stops.

2. Do not evacuate unless given instruction to do so by a member of the staff.

3. If you are working with infants, crawlers or walkers, please cover the babies with either cribs or your body ensuring that the children have room to breathe but are protected from any falling debris. If there is little or no damage to your room please remain in the room until you receive instructions from a staff member. If instructed to evacuate, please follow evacuation procedures above.

Before and During a Tornado: 

  • Seek shelter immediately!
  • Stay away from large open rooms like auditoriums and rooms with windows. Lie low with hands covering the back of your head to reduce neck injury.

After a Tornado: 

  • Keep calm. Stay in your shelter until after the storm is over.
  • Check people around you for injuries. Begin first aid or seek help if necessary.
  • Check utility lines and appliances for damage. If you smell gas or if electrical wires are shorting out, report it immediately to a staff member. Don’t turn on lights or appliances until the gas has dissipated.
  • When you go outside, watch out for downed power lines.

If an Intruder Enters the Building: 

  • Close and lock your classroom doors.
  • Stay away windows
  • Locate children to a safe area in the room.